Scientists have revealed the secret of Mona Lisa's smile
People have come up with various interpretations over the centuries to understand the mysterious smile of the world's most famous painting, Mona Lisa. But now, after scientific observations of Mona Lisa, scientists say that Mona Lisa has just given birth to a baby and the smile on her lips is actually a smile of a new mother full of mixed feelings of fatigue and devotion.
credit: third party image referenceMillions of people visit the Louvre Museum in Paris every year to catch a glimpse of this masterpiece of painting. But they only get a glimpse, as Mona Lisa can be seen from a distance of ten feet across a thick wall of bulletproof glass. In addition, in order to keep it safe in different periods, several layers of varnish have been applied on it, which has further suppressed the original image. Furthermore, over time, that is likely to change
To unravel the mystery of the Mona Lisa, scientists from the Canadian National Research Institute (NRC) and France have used state-of-the-art equipment to carefully study the texture, painting technique, aging and layers of paint and varnish. An X-ray and a 3D scan of the image showed that Mona Lisa was wearing a hat in addition to the dupatta, which was worn by new mothers at the time. The color of this transparent hat faded over time. Gone are the days and it is no longer visible.
credit: third party image referenceHistorians have found out that Mona Lisa gave birth to a boy. Earlier, a daughter and a son of Mona Lisa died shortly after birth.
Mona Lisa's overall impression is largely influenced by the specific seat of her hands. But the study revealed that Leonardo initially painted one of Mona Lisa's hands differently. Like she wants to lean on a chair to get up. But later Leonardo showed the other hand wrapped around the other hand, which is an expression of peace and contentment.
credit: third party image referenceLeonardo made this painting using a method called 'Safamoto'. He used paint, oil and varnish so artistically in his paintings that scientists did not see brush marks anywhere.
The skillful use of this particular technique creates a foggy and dreamy atmosphere over the Mona Lisa.
Will these revelations reduce the level of confusion surrounding Mona Lisa? Probably not, because Leonardo's creative process cannot be accessed by any scientific invention. Of course, this research has revealed some hidden corners of the world's beloved image.
Scientists have also found that the Mona Lisa painting is in very good condition overall. They did not show any signs of discoloration or damage to the wooden board on which the Mona Lisa was painted.